Danny's Song
by Erin T. Aardvark
Summary: Bert's pen pal from Los Angeles visits the Evergreen Forest, and our heroes have to contend with a gang of animals trying to claim Evergreen Lake.
1. The Letter

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just to avoid confusion, this story features some OC's: The Gang of Six, Reggie Drake, and Adelaide Canard. Both Reggie and Adelaide are anthro ducks. Adelaide is Dr. Canard's wife, and Reggie is their grandson (fans of the series will remember Dr. Canard, I'm sure). Also, I made up Dr. Canard's first name, because I think he was in only two episodes (Last Legs and Stress Test), so I'm using some leeway here._

Another typical winter day in the Evergreen Forest. The Raccoons were enjoying the day, inside. Snow was falling, and none of them felt like going out. Ralph was sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper. Melissa was making hot chocolate, and Bert was staring out the window. It appeared he was waiting for something.

"Where is he?" he asked. "He should've been here by now!"

"Take it easy, Bert," Ralph said. "He'll get here. It's probably taking him longer because of the snow."

"Well, I wish he'd hurry up!" Bert shouted. "The anticipation is killing me!"

"Waiting for Cedric, Bert?" Melissa asked, pouring the hot chocolate into three mugs.

"No, the mailman," Bert said. "I'm expecting something."

"A shipment of rare, exotic, Amazonian peanut butter?" Ralph teased.

Bert was about to say something, when there was a knock on the door, and a bunch of envelopes came through the mail slot. Ralph got up, gathered them up, and took them to the table.

"Bill, bill, bill," he said. "Postcard from Aunt Gertie, you may have already won a million dollars, Journalist Quarterly magazine, a letter for Bert, and . . . ."

Ralph cleared his throat, rolled up a second magazine that was in the mail and hid it under his arm. Melissa hadn't noticed. Ralph then handed Bert his letter which he promptly ripped open and began to read. Once he finished, he broke into a big smile.

"Yahoo!" he shouted, jumping into the air.

"This is the best news ever!"

"What is it, Bert?" Melissa asked, bringing the hot chocolate over to the table. "Win first prize some kind of contest?"

"Better than that!" Bert shouted.

"Inherit a peanut plantation?" Ralph teased. "Or a peanut butter factory?"

"Better than that!" Bert shouted again, practically hugging his letter.

"Really?" Melissa asked. Bert thought that one over.

"Well . . . . maybe not as good as inheriting a peanut butter factory," he admitted. "But it's still great news! I've been waiting all week for this letter!"

"Who's it from, anyway?" Melissa asked.

"Reggie," Bert said. "He's my pen pal in California. Remember, I told you guys about him when I first started writing to him. Here, I'll read you the letter. Dear Bert, how are things going? Thanks for the photos of the forest. They were really great. Your friend Melissa is an awesome photographer. It's good to see the forest again, even though it's only pictures, but soon, I'll get to see it in person again. I'm coming up to the Evergreen Forest for vacation, and I can't wait to meet you and all your friends. I'll be arriving on the nineteenth on the noon train. See you then. Your pal, Reggie. Isn't that great?"

"Yeah, that's terrific, Bert," Ralph said. "I can't wait to meet him. From what you told us about him, he sounds like a really great guy."

"What does he mean by seeing the forest again?" Melissa asked. "I thought you said he's from California."

"Oh he is," Bert said. "But he was born here in the Evergreen Forest. His family moved to Los Angeles after his father got a job down there. But he won't tell me what his dad does for a living. Anyway, all I know is that Reggie has lived in LA most of his life, but often spent winter and summer school vacations with his grandparents here in the forest."

"Well, how old is he?" Ralph asked.

"Around my age. Maybe older, maybe younger, I'm not sure. One letter mentioned something about UCLA. But anyway, he rides a motorcycle, plays hockey and saxophone, and he loves peanut butter! Boy oh boy, I can't wait until he gets here! What's today?"

"The sixteenth," Ralph said.

"Aaahhhh!" Bert screamed. "I gotta wait three whole days?! Oooohhhh, the agony!"

Ralph and Melissa rolled their eyes, and went back to drinking their hot chocolate.


	2. The Gang of Six

Over the next couple of days, Bert told Cedric about his latest letter from his pen pal. They were out on Evergreen Lake, passing around a hockey puck.

"We'll have the time of our lives, Cedric!" he shouted. "You, me, and Reggie . . . . we'll be like the Three Musketeers!"

"I can't wait," Cedric said. "And you said he studied at UCLA? What did he study?"

"I think he took a couple of courses in medicine, but he didn't really care much for that. I have to check my letters. He doesn't talk about UCLA much, or his parents much. He says he can't wait to see the forest again."

"Well, I know I missed this place when I was away at college. I can imagine your friend misses it more, since he's been away from it almost his whole life."

Bert agreed, and he and Cedric continued passing the puck back and forth. As they were playing, Bert was suddenly knocked off his feet by something moving so fast, neither he, nor Cedric, could see what it was. Once Bert was down, it came back, and Cedric was knocked off his feet as well.

"What was that?!" Bert shouted.

Suddenly, whatever had hit the boys stopped. Standing before them were six people (or maybe I should use the word animals): a fox, a badger, a weasel, a beaver, a porcupine, and a skunk (just for the record, the weasel, and the porcupine were girls).

"Look what we got here," the fox said. "A couple of punks on _our_ lake!"

The other five animals laughed. Bert got up and glared at the fox.

"What do you mean _your_ lake?!" he shouted. "This lake doesn't belong to anybody!"

"It's on _our_ turf, bozo!" the weasel said, putting her hands on her hips. "And we don't like strangers on _our_ turf!"

"You wants I should turn 'em inside out, Slick?" the badger said. Bert and Cedric looked at each other and gulped.

"Nah, that won't be necessary," the fox said. "We can let 'em go with a warning. _This_ time. But next time we catch you guys on _our _lake, ol' Brucie will have to rough yas up."

"Hey, who do you think you are, anyway?" Cedric asked.

"We're the Gang of Six," the fox said.

"Gee, I betcha it took a _long_ time to come up with _that_ name," Bert said, sarcastically.

"Eh, shaddup, Bandit Face!" the beaver shouted.

"Allow me to introduce ourselves," the fox said. "I'm Slick Slystone. And these are, from left to right, Brucie Badger, Winks Weasel, Buzz Bucktooth, Prickles Pine, and Punk Skunk."

"Punk Skunk," Bert repeated. "Cute. Very catchy. I like it."

"Now that we're through with the formalities," Prickles said. "Get off our lake!"

"It's not your lake!" Bert protested. "It's a public lake!"

"Not anymore it ain't!" Winks shouted.

"We'll give you and Hose Nose to the count of ten to get off the lake, Bandit Face," Slick said. "If you're not off by then, then Brucie will have to muss yas up. One, two, three, four . . . ."

"Come on, Bert, let's get out of here," Cedric said.

"You're not afraid of them, are you, Cedric?" Bert asked.

"Well . . . not exactly . . . . I just . . . . . have to get home now."

"Oh all right. But I'm not gonna let you jokers get away with this! You haven't seen the last of Bert Raccoon!"

Bert was about to leave, when he ended up tripping over his own feet, and smashing right into the ice. WHAM! The Gang of Six just laughed like crazy. Cedric helped Bert to his feet and they were off.

"This is undemocratic!" Bert shouted. "They can't claim the lake! Besides, it's big enough to go around!"

"I know, Bert," Cedric said. "But I don't want to take my chances with them. After all, I've got a wife and two kids to support."

Bert rolled his eyes. He and Cedric went to the Raccoondominium and told Ralph and Melissa what was going on. They were as surprised as Bert and Cedric were.

"This Gang of Six must be new around here," Ralph said. "I've never heard of any of them."

"But they just can't kick you off the lake," Melissa said.

"That's what Bert told them," Cedric said. "But . . . . well . . . ."

"Though we probably could've taken them," Bert said. "I'm sure of it!"

"Two against six," Ralph said. "The odds would be in the gang's favor."

"Don't worry about it, Bert," Melissa said. "They can't kick everyone off the lake. Besides, you have more important things to do than play hockey, anyway."

"Like what?" Bert asked, sulking.

"Like cleaning your room," Ralph said. "Reggie comes tomorrow at noon, remember?"

"Oh yeah!" Bert shouted, suddenly perking up. "Hey, I'd better get started!"

"I'd better be going, too," Cedric said, getting up. "I promised Sophia I'd take over watching the kids this afternoon. See you guys later."

"Bye, Cedric," Melissa said, as Cedric left. Then she turned to Ralph.

"You don't really think they could take over the lake, do you?" she asked.

"I don't know," Ralph said, shrugging. "But Evergreen Lake is a big lake. There's plenty of room to go around. I'm sure the Gang of Six will see that soon."

Melissa nodded, but she really wasn't so sure about that.


	3. Reggie Drake

At noon the next day, Ralph, Bert, Melissa, Schafer, Cedric, Sophia, and their kids (Forest and Evelyn) were waiting at the train station. Bert was about to explode from anticipation. The train pulled in and stopped, and people began getting off. Bert was practically going crazy. Finally, the last of the passengers got off the train, and Bert began jumping up and down, excitedly.

"It's him! It's him!" he called. "Reggie! Hey, Reggie, over here!"

A thin, anthro duck with tan feathers and dark brown hair glanced over at Bert, smiled, and waved. He was wearing a beige lambskin coat, and carrying a duffel bag over one shoulder, and a hockey stick over the other.

"Hi, Bert!" he called. "We meet at last."

"You said it," Bert said, as he and Reggie gave each other five. Then he turned to his friends. "Gang, this is my pen pal from Los Angeles, California, Reggie."

"Hi," Reggie said. "Now, don't tell me who any of you are. Bert's told me almost everything about all of you and he's sent me pictures. I want to see if I get this right. You must be Ralph, the editor of the Evergreen Standard, and you're his wife, Melissa, who takes photos for the Standard."

"That's right," Ralph said, shaking Reggie's hand.

"We're pleased to meet you," Melissa said.

"Same here," Reggie said, shaking Melissa's hand. "You're a fantastic photographer, Melissa. Bert's sent me a lot of your pictures."

Reggie then turned to Cedric and Sophia.

"And you must be Cedric," he said. "Bert's best friend. And that must make you Sophia, and that must make these two Forest and Evelyn."

"Right," Cedric said.

"He's good at guessing, Daddy," Forest said. "Are you good at hide and seek, too?"

"Only the seeking part," Reggie said, patting Forest on the head. "I was never a good hider. And last, but by no means least, Schafer the sheepdog, owner of the Blue Spruce Cafe. Bert says that it's the best restaurant in town."

"You got it," Schafer said. "Though I wouldn't exactly call it the best restaurant in town."

"Yeah, but Bert says you make a mean PB and J," Reggie said. "That says good eatin' in my book!"

Everyone laughed over that one and went to the Raccoondominum so Reggie could unpack and settle in, but that was the last thing he wanted to do. The minute Bert showed him his room, Reggie tossed his duffel bag and hockey stick on one of the bunks, opened his duffel bag, and began unpacking.

"This is gonna be the most fun week of my life!" Bert shouted. "You and me and Cedric will be the Three Musketeers!"

"Won't Ralph feel left out?" Reggie asked.

"Okay, we'll be the Four Musketeers then. Whatever you say, Reggie. I want this to be the best winter vacation you've ever had in your life! Hey, listen, we're all having dinner at the Blue Spruce tonight, and we've got some time before we go. So, what do you want to do first? Play some hockey? Go skiing? Toss snowballs at the Sneer mansion?"

"Go to the hospital."

"What?! Go to the hospital?! What would you want to do _that_ for?!"

"I just want to drop in and see somebody. That's okay with you, isn't Bert?"

"Well, sure, I guess, but it doesn't sound very exciting."

"Yeah, I know, but I just want to tell this person I'm in town. If I don't, and he finds out, he'll be sore at me."

Bert nodded, and he and Reggie left for the hospital. It was pretty dull in there, kind of a slow day. Bert was a little surprised Reggie knew his way around the hospital, as if he had the corridors memorized. He finally found the door he was looking for and opened it. Inside, Dr. Canard was busy going through some files. Reggie smiled.

"Hey, what's up, Doc?" he asked, leaning against the door frame. Dr. Canard put down the file he was looking at and sighed.

"Only one person in the world can get away with saying that to me," he said, turning around. "Reginald, do you always have to greet me like that?"

"Hi, Doc!" Reggie said, coming in.

"Hey, Reg, how do you know Dr. Canard?" Bert asked coming into the room. "I never told you about him."

"He's my grandfather," Reggie explained.

"Grandfather?" Bert asked. "Reggie, you didn't tell me this!"

"Slipped my mind," Reggie said. "And before you say anything, Doc, Bert and I are pen pals."

"I see," Dr. Canard said. Then he sighed. "Well, Reginald, I wish you'd have given me a little more notice before you dropped in like this. I would've given me and your grandmother some time to prepare the guest room."

"Oh, that's okay, Doc," Reggie said. "I'm staying with Bert at the Raccoondominium. I didn't want you or Nana to go to any trouble on my account. Besides, I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, you certainly did surprise me," Dr. Canard replied, with a laugh. "How long are you in town, Reginald?"

"Oh a week," Reggie replied. "I'm just up here for a vacation. I can't wait to get on that lake and play some hockey!"

"I don't understand what it is with you and hockey, Reginald, I really don't. I'd love to stay and chat, boys, but I have to get back to my rounds."

"Sure, Doc. Hey, listen, why don't you and Nana come to the Blue Spruce for dinner with us tonight? I mean, if that's okay with you, Bert."

"Sure," Bert said. "I'll call Schafer and tell him we've got two more for dinner."

"That sounds fine, boys," Dr. Canard said.

"Great," Reggie replied. "See you at seven, Doc!"

And with that, Bert and Reggie left the hospital. They went down to Willow's next. Reggie was glad to see it hadn't changed since he last saw it.

"I want to see if Mr. Willow will recognize me," Reggie said. "Don't tell him I grew up here. Just tell him I'm your pen pal from California."

"Sure thing," Bert said, and the two of them walked inside.

"Hey, Mr. Willow!" Bert called. "There's someone here I'd like you to meet. This is my pen pal from California."

"Reggie Drake!" Mr. Willow shouted. "I haven't seen you in years!"

"Hi, Mr. Willow," Reggie said. "Still sharp as ever, I see."

"Drake?" Bert asked, a little surprised. Since he and Reggie had been writing to each other, Bert always addressed his letters to "Reggie D."

"Your last name's Drake?" he asked again.

"Yeah," Reggie said, nodding. "So how have things been around here, Mr. Willow?"

"Oh, same old same old," Mr. Willow said. "Not much has changed since you and your folks left. By the way, how are Millie and Danny?"

"Danny?" Bert said, suddenly staring at Reggie.

"Danny Drake," Reggie explained. "That's my dad."

"D-d-d-danny Drake?!" Bert shouted. "Your dad is Danny _Drake_?! _The_ Danny Drake?! Right wing forward of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks?! Reggie! Why didn't you _tell_ me?! Wowee! The son of the great Danny Drake! The inventor of the Zig Zagging Turbine Twister Slap Shot! That move is legendary! I can't believe it! _My_ penpal is the son of _Danny Drake_!"

"This is why I never told you," Reggie said. "Once people find out I'm related to Danny Drake, they tend to flip out. I can't go anywhere without being hounded by fans of my dad, wanting me to get tickets. So I just stopped telling people."

"Wow, wait'll everyone hears this!" Bert shouted.

"Bert, settle down," Mr. Willow said. "I'm sure Reggie doesn't want the whole forest to know about his father!"

"Yeah, Bert, I came to relax," Reggie said. "Not to brag about Dad."

"Awwww . . . ." Bert groaned. "But can I at least tell Cedric? He loves hockey as much as I do!"

"Okay," Reggie said. "We can tell Cedric and Sophia, and Ralph and Melissa and Schafer. But that's _it._"

"You got it, Reggie," Bert said, and he and Reggie shook on it. "Come on. Let's go back to the Raccoondominium, and Ralph and I can show you our secret handshake. We taught it to Cedric and the girls, too. They're part of our club, and I want you to be part of it, too."

"Sounds great," Reggie said. "See you later, Mr. Willow."

"Bye, boys," Mr. Willow said. "Stop by again before you leave town, Reggie."

"I will," Reggie replied, and he and Bert left the store.

Back at the Raccoondominium, while Reggie was talking to Ralph and Melissa, Bert was on the phone with Cedric.

"Do you _know_ what Reggie's last name is?" he asked.

"No, what?" Cedric asked.

"It's Drake! Reggie Drake!"

"I thought you'd know that already, Bert. Didn't you notice that when you addressed your letters to him?"

"Well, he always wrote Reggie D. on the envelopes. Matter of fact, he was the one who wrote to me first, when I signed up for the pen pal program at the library. I never thought to ask what the D stood for. But do you know who his father is, Cedric?"

"Bert, you know I'll never guess. Tell me."

"Danny Drake!"

The line went silent all of a sudden. For a minute, Bert thought either Cedric had hung up, or his father had cut off the call.

"Cedric?" he asked. "Hey, Cedric, you still there?"

"Did you say Danny Drake?!" Cedric shouted. "Mighty Ducks Danny Drake?! Are you serious, Bert?!"

"Have I ever been wrong?" Bert suddenly realized his choice of words. "Don't answer that. Besides, he told me while we were at Willow's!"

"Bert, this is unbelievable!"

"Yeah, I know! Maybe . . . . oh, just maybe . . . . if Reggie invites us out to California, he'll introduce us to his dad! Whoo hoo! And then . . . . then, we'll show Danny Drake what you and I can do, and he'll be so impressed, he'll talk to the Ducks' manager, and then, _we'll_ be Mighty Ducks! Think of it, Cedric! You and me on a professional hockey team! All thanks to my new buddy, Reggie Drake!"

"Bert, I don't think that's very fair. Just because Reggie has a famous father doesn't mean he can get us on a professional hockey team."

"You never know, Cedric. You just never know! Hey, listen, Reg is tired of people hounding him, so you'd better not tell too many people. I mean, go ahead and tell Sophia, but make sure she doesn't spread it around the forest. You know she's a blabbermouth."

"Just don't let her hear you say that. But I promise I won't tell anyone else, Bert. See you tonight at the cafe."

Unfortunately, that promise was not about to be kept by a long shot. Someone had been listening in to his phone conversation. Or rather, three someones. The Pigs had picked up the phone, and heard Bert and Cedric's conversation.

"Wow, the son of Danny Drake in our forest!" Floyd shouted.

"Yeah," Boyd said. "And Cedric's having dinner with him tonight!"

"Wait'll the boss hears about this!" Lloyd shouted, and he and his brothers ran for Cyril's office.


	4. Reunion

Later that night, the Raccoons, Cedric, Sophia, Schafer, and Reggie, along with Dr. Canard and his wife, Adelaide, were sitting at the Blue Spruce Cafe.

"So tell us how you ended up choosing Bert as your pen pal, Reggie," Ralph said.

"Well, I was at the library, and I saw this sign about a pen pal program," Reggie said. "I looked at a list of names and interests, and I ran across Bert's name, and it listed his interests as adventure, hockey, baseball, and peanut butter, and I thought this is definitely my kinda guy, so I wrote him a letter."

"And the rest is history," Bert said.

"It all boils down to hockey, doesn't it, Reginald?" Dr. Canard asked. "Admit it, you're obsessed with it, just like your father."

"Hockey's in my blood, Doc," Reggie said with a shrug.

"Hey, how come you call him Doc, Reg?" Bert asked. "I mean, he's your grandfather, why don't you call him Grandpa?"

"Two reasons," Reggie said. "He's a doctor, and he kind of reminds me of Doc in _Snow White and the Seven Dwarves_. Maybe it's the glasses. That, and I love to bug him by saying what's up Doc to him."

"Now don't the rest of you go and try it," Dr. Canard warned. "Reginald is the only one who can get away with it."

"So Reggie," Cedric said, changing the subject. "Bert said you went to UCLA."

"Yeah, I'm still there, actually," Reggie replied. "I just got finished with winter finals. I'm studying medicine."

"That was Herbie's suggestion to Millie and Danny," Adelaide said.

"Herbie?" Bert said, then he started snickering. He never knew Dr. Canard's first name. He stopped abruptly when Melissa gave him a hard nudge in the ribs with her elbow.

"You don't want me to tell them what Bert's short for, _do_ you, Bert?" she said.

"Yikes!" Bert shouted, ducking under the table. "Okay, I'll behave!"

"You know, I have to level with you guys," Reggie said, laughing. "It is great to go somewhere without being bombarded with questions about my dad."

Suddenly the door to the cafe opened, and in came Cyril Sneer and the Pigs.

"Pop!" Cedric shouted. "What are you doing here?"

"Business, son," Cyril said. "Strictly business. And don't worry about the kids, I dropped them off at George Raccoon's place."

"I'm afraid to ask," Ralph said. "What kind of business?"

"Just the boss's latest business venture," Lloyd said, shoving Bert out of his seat, so he could sit there.

"Ow!" Bert shouted, landing flat on his back on the floor.

"What are you planning now, Cyril?" Melissa asked.

Cyril didn't say anything. He just pulled out a bottle filled with green liquid. The others weren't quite sure what to make of it.

"Sneer's Super Sports Drink," Floyd said. "It's like Gatorade, only better!"

"I can see where they're going with this," Reggie groaned. "I get this a lot."

"So, Reggie," Lloyd said. "Can I call you Reggie?"

"Call me anything except late for dinner," Reggie quipped.

"I love a man with a sense of humor," Cyril said, shoving Lloyd out of the chair. He landed right on top of Bert.

"Oof!" Lloyd shouted.

"Hey, get off!" Bert yelled, pushing the Pig off of him.

"Well, well, if it isn't little Reggie Drake!" Cyril shouted. "Back in the forest, eh? On a little vacation, huh? So how are your parents doing?"

"As if you didn't know," Reggie said, rolling his eyes. "Seriously, Mr. Sneer, you can cut the sarcasm. I know you're still sore at me for hitting that hockey puck through your window."

"That's all in the past, Reggie, my boy, all in the past," Cyril said. "By the way, I heard your father is a professional hockey player now. That's good to hear!"

"Cut to the chase, Mr. Sneer," Reggie said. "You're killing me."

"My new sports drink isn't selling as well as I had anticipated," Cyril said. "So the Pigs told me I might have to get a big, major league sports star, like . . . . oh I don't know, maybe . . . . Danny Drake . . . . to endorse it. And who better than to convince Danny Drake to do so than his own son?"

"Oh brother," Ralph groaned.

"First of all," Bert said, getting up. "How'd you find out my pen pal's father was Danny Drake? I only told Cedric, Ralph, Melissa, and Schafer, and Cedric told me he was just gonna tell Sophia . . . . ."

Bert then looked at Sophia and shot her a glare. Sophia looked a bit taken aback.

"But . . . but I . . . ." she started to say.

"Little Miss Blabbermouth had nothing to do with it," Cyril said. "I have my ways of finding these things out, Raccoon."

"And it doesn't hurt to pick up the phone at the same time that Cedric picks it up," Lloyd said.

"Oooh! I wish I had the camera!" Floyd shouted. "Imagine! Us having dinner with the son of Danny Drake!"

"Look, Mr. Sneer," Reggie said with a sigh. "I'm here on vacation, and all I want to do is relax, hang out with Bert and his friends, and play lots of hockey. I don't want to think about anything else right now."

"Fine, fine," Cyril said. "But think it over. Try some of it. Tell me what you think."

"Oh all right," Reggie groaned. "If it'll get you off my back."

"Let me try some of that," Bert said. "Sneer Super Sports Drinks all around, Schafer."

Schafer got some glasses from the kitchen, and Melissa poured the sports drink into them. Then Bert held up his glass.

"Here's to having a doctor with us tonight," he said, indicating Dr. Canard. "That way, if we all die when we drink this stuff, he won't have too far to go for the autopsies."

"Very funny," Cyril said, sarcastically.

"Bottom's up," Ralph said, and everyone took a swig of the sports drink. None of them could swallow, and immediately they spit it out. Bert grabbed his peanut butter soda and began guzzling it down, trying to kill the taste.

"Pop, this is your worst concoction yet!" Cedric shouted. He grabbed a glass of water and began drinking as fast as he could.

"No way is Danny going to want to endorse _this_!" Adelaide shouted.

"It'll throw off his game, that's for sure," Reggie said. "He'll be the laughing stock of the AHL!"

(Animal Hockey League, for those who are curious)

"You should call it a miracle sports drink, Cyril," Bert said. "It's a miracle you're not dead after drinking it!"

"You buffoons wouldn't know good taste if it walked right up and introduced itself to you!" Cyril shouted. "By the way, Drake, tell your father I'm still waiting for the check for my window!"

And with that, Cyril stormed out of the Blue Spruce Cafe. Lloyd and Floyd followed. Boyd looked at them, and then he looked at Reggie.

"Can I have your dad's autograph?" he asked.

"My dad plays football on weekends," Reggie said. "He needs a new pigskin."

"Yikes!" Boyd shouted, and he hightailed it out of there. the others laughed.

"Does your dad play professional football, too?" Bert asked.

"Nah," Reggie said. "He and I toss the ol' pigskin around on Saturdays when he doesn't have to work."

"So how long is it going to take you until you graduate from college?" Sophia asked.

"Another year or so," Reggie replied. "Then, I'm gonna play some serious hockey!"

"Well, now, hockey's fine for a hobby, Reginald," Dr. Canard said. "But what do you plan to do with the rest of your life?"

"Play hockey," Reggie said with a shrug. The others laughed. Dr. Canard did not look amused.

"Hockey is a dangerous sport," Dr. Canard said. "Why, it's a wonder that Danny isn't dead yet, what with all the fights he gets into on the ice. Good way to get killed."

"Herbie," Adelaide said. "If Reggie wants to play hockey, then let him play hockey."

"Thank you, Nana," Reggie said.

"All right, all right," Dr. Canard said with a sigh. "You're an adult now, Reginald, and goodness knows I can't tell you what to do anymore. If you want to be the next Danny Drake, by all means go for it."

"Doc, I don't want to be the next Danny Drake," Reggie replied. "Nobody can be the next Danny Drake! Dad's unique!"

"Well, you've got a head start at it, anyway," Dr. Canard said. "After all, you _are_ Danny Drake's son. Though you're game never was quite as good as Danny's, though. That's why I think you should give it up and become a doctor. You'll never be as good as your father, Reginald."

"Oh gee whiz, Doc, thanks for your support," Reggie said, sarcastically.

"Now, Reginald, calm down," Dr. Canard said. "I didn't mean it like that. All I meant was you should have something to fall back on in case you're not chosen for a professional team. But with a little practice, you'll be as good as Danny. Eventually."

"Eventually?!" Reggie shouted, jumping up. "What do you mean eventually?!"

"Oh, gosh, look at the time!" Adelaide shouted, suddenly. She grabbed her husband's arm, and pulled him to his feet. "Herbie, dear, I think it's best if we left now."

"I suppose you're right," Dr. Canard said. He put on his coat, and then helped Adelaide with hers. "Thank you very much for dinner, Schafer. It was delicious."

"You're welcome, Dr. Canard," Schafer replied. And with that, Dr. Canard and Adelaide left the cafe.

"Eventually," Reggie grumbled. "Good as my dad eventually! Oooh, sometimes he makes me so mad, I just wanna . . . . ."

Reggie sat back down, and knocked a glass off the table out of frustration. Bert, Ralph, and Melissa exchanged a glance.

"I, uhhh, I think dinner's over," Bert said.


	5. The Gang Returns

The next morning, Schafer, Cedric, Reggie, and the Raccoons were out on Evergreen Lake, playing hockey. Sophia was skating around, working on her swan glides. The conversation between Reggie and Dr. Canard from the night before seemed to be forgotten, and no one was about to bring it up.

"Hey, Reg!" Bert called. "Reggie, show us the Zig Zagging Turbine Twist Slap Shot!"

"Oh, jeez, Bert, I don't know," Reggie said. "I mean, that's my dad's signature move, and I never could get it quite right."

"Come on, come on!" Bert shouted. "Don't be modest! I know you're just saying that because you don't want to make us feel inadequate around you because you're dad's the greatest hockey player on the planet and you've obviously inherited all of Danny Drake's talent! Now come on! Show us the shot!"

"No, really, Bert," Reggie protested. "I can't do that shot. I never could."

"Besides, Bert, you need two people for that one," Ralph said. "I've seen Danny Drake do it a million times, and it's usually with Michael Finniganbeginnigan."

"Okay!" Bert shouted, passing the puck to Reggie. "Reggie, you be Danny Drake, and I'll be Michael Finniganbeginnigan, and we'll do the shot!"

"Oh all right," Reggie sighed, grudgingly. "Let's go."

"Yahoo!" Bert shouted. "And Finniganbeginnigan passes the puck to Drake, and it looks like . . . . yes, they are going to do the Zig Zagging Turbine Twist Slap Shot!"

Reggie sighed, shook his head, and he and Bert began weaving their way around the others, passing the puck back and forth to each other.

"And Finniganbeginnigan passes the puck to Drake for the Turbine Twist!" Bert shouted. "Come on, Reg! Do your stuff!"

"Well, here goes nothing," Reggie said. "Fore!"

Reggie swung the stick like a golf club, but thanks to the force of his swing, he spun around on the ice and fell flat on his rear end. He _did_ end up hitting the puck, though, and it skidded across the ice, and banged Sophia in the foot, causing her to trip and fall.

"Oooh!" she shouted when she hit the ice.

"Oh, jeez, sorry, Sophia!" Reggie shouted, getting up. He quickly skated over to her, and helped her up. "Are you all right? You're not hurt, are you?"

"No, I'm not hurt, Reggie," Sophia said, brushing herself off.

"Reg_gie_!" Bert shouted, disapprovingly. "Now what kind of Turbine Twist was _that_?!"

"I told you I couldn't do that move, Bert," Reggie said. "My dad's tried to teach it to me at least half a dozen times, and I always end up messing it up. Matter of fact, that's how that hockey puck ended up through Mr. Sneer's window!"

"Forget the fancy stuff," Ralph said. "Let's just have a friendly game of hockey. Melissa, Schafer, and I will be one team, and Bert, Cedric, and Reggie will be the other team."

"Bert, you be the goalie for your team," Melissa said.

"Awww, gee whiz, Melissa!" Bert groaned.

"Hey, Sophia, would you mind keeping score?" Cedric asked.

"Yeah, Bert tends to cheat!" Ralph teased.

"I do _not_ cheat!" Bert shouted.

Everyone laughed, and started the game. When the score was at five to five, Reggie stopped for a second.

"I need a breather," he said, digging into his coat pocket. He pulled out an inhaler. "Literally."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention," Bert said. "Reggie has asthma."

"Yeah," Reggie said, after he took a couple of drags. "That's part of the reason Doc doesn't want me to play hockey. But I had it a heck of a lot worse back when I was a kid than I do now."

"So back to the game?" Bert asked.

"Nah, give me five minutes," Reggie said.

"Sure," Ralph said. "I think we could all use five about now."

"Let me know when you're ready to go on," Sophia said. "I'm going back to my skating while you guys take a break."

"Sure thing," Bert said. "Hey, Reg, wait'll you see Sophia skate! She's the best figure skater in the Evergreen Forest! That's why she won the Olympic medal! Come on, Sophia, show Reggie your stuff!"

"All right," Sophia said, and she began swan gliding while the others watched. Unfortunately, her routine was about to get disrupted. As she was skating, a hockey puck sailed through the air, and hit her right in the head.

"Ouch!" she shouted, and then fell to the ice with a loud THUD!

"Sophia!" Cedric shouted, rushing over to her. The others followed.

"Wow, what a blow!" Bert shouted. "That's gonna leave a nasty bump, I tell you!"

"Sophia, are you all right?" Melissa asked.

"Oooh, I think so," Sophia said. "Just a little dizzy that's all."

"No wonder!" Ralph said, picking up the puck. "This is a standard six ounce hockey puck!"

"Ouch, that _had_ to hurt!" Reggie commented. "Lucky thing it didn't knock you out! Are you _sure _okay?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Sophia replied, rubbing her head. "Though I think I know why Dr. Canard said hockey is a dangerous sport!"

"Speaking of Dr. Canard, maybe we should take you to him," Cedric said.

"Oh, I don't think that's necessary, Cedric," Sophia said.

Before anyone could say anything further, obnoxious laughter was heard from the other end of the lake, and who should skate over, but Slick Slystone, and his gang.

"Some Olympic gold medalist!" he laughed, and skidded his skates on the ice, sending a spray of slush at Cedric and Sophia.

"I take it this is _your_ hockey puck?" Melissa asked.

"That was _my_ shot!" Brucie bragged.

"You ought to be more careful when you hit it," Schafer said. "You could have really hurt her!"

"And Twinkle Toes oughta be more careful when she skates while _we're_ trying to play hockey!" Slick shouted. "Besides, it's _our_ lake, and nobody skates on it but us!"

"This the Gang of Six you and Cedric told us about, Bert?" Ralph asked.

"Yep, that's them," Bert said. "Hey, you guys, where do you get off claiming the lake like this?!"

"Whenever the Gang of Six wants something, the Gang of Six takes it," Slick said.

"That's ridiculous," Melissa said.

"Besides, this lake is big enough for all of us to skate on," Sophia replied.

"This lake is big enough for all of us to skate on!" Winks mimicked in a high pitched voice. Then she laughed, and pretended to be a figure skater. "Ooooh look at me! I'm a pretty little figure skater with a brain the size of a peanut! It's okay if a hockey puck hits me in the head because there's nothing inside my head to hurt! Ha, ha, ha!"

"That's not at all funny," Cedric said, glaring at Winks. "Sophia could've been seriously hurt by that puck! It could have even killed her!"

"So what?" Slick said. "That's what she gets for tippy toe-ing on _our_ lake! If she had any brains at all, she'd have seen it comin'!"

"What?!" Bert shouted. He was seeing red at this point. "All right, that does it! That does it! Let me at 'em! Let me at 'em!"

"Hey, whoa, cool it, Bert," Reggie said. Then he turned to the Gang of Six. "Look you guys, this is a public lake! You can't kick us off like this! We have a right to skate here, and you guys also have a right to skate here. Come on, it's a big lake!"

"Save the preachin' for Sunday," Punk said.

"Hey, wait a minute," Buzz said. "You look familiar. Kinda like a young Danny Drake."

"That's 'cause he's Danny Drake's son," Bert said. He couldn't resist showing off.

The Gang of Six looked at Reggie, then back at each other, then back at Reggie again. Slick smirked, and snorted.

"Then you oughta know your old man is a hack," he said. "Everyone knows Danny Drake is the worst player in the entire AHL!"

"He is not!" Bert shouted. "Danny Drake is one of the greatest! And Reggie is just as good as he is! Arentcha, Reggie?"

"Well . . . ." Reggie said, a bit hesitantly.

"Heh, I'll believe it when I see it," Winks said.

"Yeh, show us the Zig Zagging Turbine Twist Slap Shot," Punk said. "If you're Danny Drake's kid, then you can do that shot easy."

"Uhh, well, gee, I dunno . . . ." Reggie said. "I, uhh, I mean, it takes two people to do it."

"How 'bout you and Four Eyes?" Prickles challenged.

"Whattaya say, Cedric?" Bert said. "You can do the shot! I've seen you!"

"I guess so," Cedric said. "If it's okay with Reggie."

"Yeh, come on, Drake," Punk said.

Reggie sighed, and he and Cedric got into position. Brucie loaned them his puck, and they started zig zagging. Reggie was about to pass the puck to Cedric so he could do the slap shot, but Slick stopped them.

"Aw, come on, Drake," he said. "You can't pass the puck to Four Eyes! _You_ gotta do the slap shot!"

Reggie groaned. He looked at the others, then at the Gang of Six, and then the puck. He took a deep breath, and hit the puck as hard as he could, except he hit it a little too hard, and it became airborne.

"Sophia, look out!" Melissa shouted, but the warning came too late and the puck hit Sophia in the head once again, and in the exact same spot it hit her before.

"Ooohhhh!" Sophia moaned.

"Oh no!" Reggie shouted. "Sophia, I'm _so_ sorry! I didn't mean it!"

"Her head must be a puck magnet," Buzz said, and he and the rest of the gang cracked up.

"That's not funny!" Cedric yelled at them. "Not funny at all!"

"We'd better get her to the hospital," Ralph said. "Two blows to the head with a hockey puck . . . . ouch!"

Cedric, Melissa, and Schafer helped Sophia too her feet, and guided her off the ice. Sophia could barely stand up straight. She was too disoriented, and she felt like she was going to pass out. Reggie felt terrible.

"Man, I hope she's okay," he said. "I can't believe I did that! Cedric will probably never forgive me!"

"Hey, it was an accident, Reg," Bert said. "Cedric knows that. He won't hold it against you."

"You're such a loser, Drake," Slick said. "You and the ring tailed rats and Four Eyes and the big shag rug wouldn't stand a chance against us in a real hockey game!"

"Says who, big shot?" Bert asked. "How about a match? Saturday night! And the winner gets to decide who gets the skate here on Evergreen Lake, and who doesn't!"

"Bert!" Ralph shouted. Then he stepped in. "No way are we making any bets!"

"That's 'cause you know you'll lose!" Winks laughed. "Especially if Drake does that slap shot of his dad's!"

Reggie was seething at this point. He was ready to blow. The Gang of Six showed off their stuff a little, and then Brucie and Buzz both skated behind Ralph and Bert and tripped them with their sticks. Both crashed to the ice, and were left seeing stars.

"Losers!" Slick laughed. "Your friends and your old man are nothing but losers!"

"That does it!" Reggie shouted, grabbing Slick's stick. "You can insult me all you want, but you just drew the line when you insulted my dad _and_ my friends! Saturday night, buster, this is you!"

And with that, Reggie smashed the stick in half over his knee and tossed the pieces on the ice. The Gang of Six merely snickered, and skated off. Ralph and Bert just stared at him, not quite knowing what to say.

"Reggie," Bert said, a little surprised.

"I'm sorry, guys," Reggie sighed. "My temper got the better of me. But I couldn't let that jerk push my pals around."

"Well, we'd better get to the hospital," Ralph said. "We have to tell Melissa, Cedric, and Schafer what just happened, and I want to make sure Sophia's all right."


	6. Son of a Drake

When Ralph, Reggie, and Bert arrived at the hospital, they found not only Schafer, Melissa, and Cedric there, but also Cyril and the Pigs.

"What are you guys doing here?" Ralph asked.

"I called Pop to tell him what happened," Cedric said.

"Then he told us to drive down here immediately," Lloyd said, shrugging.

"What about the kids?" Bert asked.

"He left them with Nicole," Melissa explained.

"I know what you're all thinking," Cyril said. "And let me just tell you this. I may be mean and heartless, but I'm not _that _ mean and heartless! I can't let Sofa Girl attempt to walk home in this weather after a head injury! She's likely to fall and kill herself!"

"How is she, anyway?" Ralph said.

"We don't know yet," Cedric replied. "She's still in the examining room."

"I'm really sorry, Cedric," Reggie said. "I shouldn't have attempted my dad's move."

"The one that broke my window," Cyril mumbled. Reggie and Cedric ignored him.

"Don't worry about it, Reggie," Cedric said. "It was an accident after all."

"Thanks," Reggie said. "But when Doc finds out about it, I'm gonna get read the riot act."

"Not necessarily, Reginald," Dr. Canard said, coming out of the examining room. "Though you _are_ going to get a slight talking to in a minute."

"How's Sophia, Dr. Canard?" Cedric asked.

"Fine, just fine," Dr. Canard assured him. "Luckily, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Just a bad bump on the head, nothing too serious, though she'll probably have a bad headache in the morning. I want to keep her overnight for observation, and she'll be able to go home tomorrow."

"That's good," Ralph said.

"Can I go in and see her?" Cedric asked.

"No, I'm afraid not, Cedric," Dr. Canard said. "I want her to get some rest. And as for you, Reginald, what in the world were you thinking? You know you can't do that move of Danny's!"

"I know, I know," Reggie groaned. "But these six guys dared me to do it, and . . . ."

"And I suppose if they dared you to jump off a bridge, you'd do that, too? Reginald, every time you try to do that move of Danny's someone gets hurt, or something gets broken."

"Like my window for example," Cyril commented.

"I'll talk to Dad about that when I get home, Mr. Sneer!" Reggie shouted. "Good grief, it's been ten years since that incident! Give it a rest!"

"I'm sure you'll master that move with a little practice, Reg," Bert replied, coming over. "And speaking of practice, we'd better get back out on the lake and practice for the game against the Gang of Six on Saturday!"

"Game?" Cedric asked.

"What did you do _now_, Bert?!" Melissa groaned.

"He didn't," Reggie said. "I opened my big mouth, snapped a stick in two, and the game was on."

"Oh no, not again," Schafer groaned.

"Come on, you guys, we can't let them take over the lake!" Bert shouted. "It's public property!"

"Want to borrow my bears?" Cyril asked.

"No thanks, Pop," Cedric said. "We can handle it."

"Yeah, we handled it before," Bert said. "When _you_ tried to destroy the lake!"

"Oh come off it," Cyril said. Then he and the Pigs left the hospital. The others left as well and went back to the lake to practice.

Practice was pretty much the same as it had been the first time the Raccoons and their friends had tried to save Evergreen Lake.

The next day, the Raccoons and their friends were at the Sneer mansion. They wanted to check in on Sophia. She was laying in bed when they arrived. She had a bandage wrapped around her head, and Cedric was holding an ice bag to it.

"Hi, Sophia!" Melissa called, as she and the others came into the room.

"How are you feeling?" Schafer asked.

"Much better," Sophia said. "My head still hurts a little, but not as much as it did when that hockey puck hit it."

"I'm really sorry, Sophia," Reggie said. "I didn't mean to smack your head with the puck."

"Oh, it's okay, Reggie," Sophia said. "It was just an accident."

"We'd stay and talk some more, Sophia, but we've got practicing to do," Cedric said. "We have a game against that gang on Saturday, and we want to be ready for them, and you need your rest."

"Oh Cedric! I'm fine!" Sophia shouted. "Dr. Canard said so! He said there was no reason not to go back to my normal routine!"

"Better safe than sorry," Cedric replied. "I'd feel better about this whole thing if you just staid in bed and rest today. Don't make me post guards at the door."

"Oh, all right, Cedric," Sophia said with a sigh. "See you later, everyone."

"Bye, Sophia," Ralph said, and the group left the room.

The Raccoons and their friends were about to leave when the Pigs ran out and stopped them.

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" Lloyd said. "The boss wants to see all of you!"

"All of us?" Schafer asked.

"What does Pop want all of us for?" Cedric asked.

"Oh, you'll see," Boyd said.

The group shrugged, and started towards Cyril's office. They were a bit surprised to see him standing there, talking to Mrs. Pig, the Pigs' mother.

"Hey, Mrs. Pig!" Bert shouted. "When did you get here?"

"Early this morning," Mrs. Pig said. "The boys called me and told me about your hockey game, so I came to cheer you on. And I have a surprise for all of you."

"Chocolate brownies, I hope," Bert said, licking his lips hungrily.

"Oh Bert!" Melissa laughed.

"When the boys called and told me about the game," Mrs. Pig continued, pulling a box off Cyril's desk. "I made these for you."

Mrs. Pig reached inside the box, and pulled out what looked like a hockey jersey. It was white with a blue and green stripe on each sleeve. On the front was an Evergreen tree, inside of a blue ring. On the outside of the ring were the words "Evergreen Raccoons."

"Hey, we'll really look like a professional hockey team with these!" Bert shouted, as Mrs. Pig handed him the jersey. Then he looked on the back, and smiled. "Hey! Check this out, gang! B. Raccoon! And the number seven! Lucky seven! Wow!"

"Just like the professionals!" Cedric shouted, and he immediately took off his New York Islanders jersey, and threw on the new one. "Thanks, Mrs. Pig!"

"These are really great," Melissa shouted. "How did you manage to make them all in one night?"

"Oh, I didn't do it all in one night," Mrs. Pig said. "I started making these when the boys told me about how you all saved Evergreen Lake, though I'm still not sure what in the world possessed you to build a hockey arena over it in the first place, Mr. Sneer."

"Yes, well . . . ." Cyril said. And he left it at that.

"I only had to make one jersey from scratch last night," Mrs. Pig said, pulling one jersey out. She handed it to Reggie. "I hope you like it."

Reggie unfolded the jersey, and looked at the back of it. It read "R. Drake," but Reggie's smile slowly faded when he saw the number Mrs. Pig had put on it. 29.

"Hey, twenty-nine!" Bert shouted. "Just like your dad, Reggie!"

"Oh yes," Mrs. Pig said. "My boys are such big fans of your father, Reggie."

"So I've noticed," Reggie said, a bit unenthusiastically.

"What's the matter, Reg?" Bert asked. "Don't you like it?"

"Oh, no, it's great, it's really great," Reggie said. "I like it, I really do. Thanks a lot, Mrs. Pig."

"Oh, you're welcome," Mrs. Pig said. "I'm so glad you like it. I can't wait to see the game. And I'm sure if you're anything like Danny Drake, Reggie, you'll be wonderful."

The others began to talk all at once about the game just then, mostly how Cedric and Reggie, the son of Danny Drake, were going to wipe the ice with the Gang of Six. Reggie turned away from all of them, and stared at the 29 on the back of his jersey.

"Wonderful," he said, sarcastically. "Just wonderful."

Later, all donning their new hockey jerseys, the Evergreen Raccoons were out on the lake practicing. It was hard work, but the team stuck to it.

"We don't need to practice!" Bert shouted, passing the puck to Ralph. "We're great! We've got Cedric, the best hockey player in the Evergreen Forest! And we've also got Reggie! The son of the great Danny Drake! Reggie'll play just like his dad!"

"Hey, come on, Bert," Reggie said, feeling a bit exasperated. "Let's just practice, okay?"

"Hey, Reg, check out this move!" Bert shouted. "I saw your dad do it once!"

Bert swerved to the left, and smacked the puck. It sailed right over to Ralph, who shot it towards the goal. Schafer caught it though.

"Aw rats," Bert said. "But I'm glad to see you're on your toes, Schafer. Okay, come on, Reggie boy! Show us some of that Drake talent!"

"Okay," Reggie said. "Schafer, pass me the puck."

Schafer hit the puck to Reggie, and Reggie swatted it back and forth with the stick, passing it to Cedric. Cedric shot it through the goal.

"Oh come _on_ Reggie!" Bert shouted. "Stop being so modest!"

"I'm not being modest, Bert," Reggie said. "That's my Drake talent."

"Yeah, but it isn't _Danny_ Drake talent," Bert said. "Come on, buddy, you can do better than that! You're Danny Drake's son! Hey, you know that move your dad used once during the play offs? You know, how he twisted around the entire defense, and then back handed the puck right into the goal? Show us that one, Reg! And then, show us the move your dad did when he did that wrap around shot! And when he did the long bomb that shot the puck from the Ducks goal to the opposing team! Man, that goalie didn't even know what hit him! And . . . . and show us the move your dad used when he was up against the entire defensive line! Oh, man, wasn't your dad just the greatest when he scored a goal right after the first face-off? Reggie, you've _got _ to do that in the game Saturday!"

Bert kept right on talking about Danny Drake just then. Reggie had been awfully quiet throughout that whole thing, but Ralph, Melissa, Cedric, and Schafer could tell he was becoming a little edgy. But what Bert said next really pushed Reggie over the top.

"Come on, Reggie!" he shouted. "We've gotta show that Gang of Six that nobody can push around Danny Drake's son and his pals!"

"Oh, Bert, would you just _shut up_!" Reggie shouted, throwing his hockey stick on the ice.

"Huh?" Bert asked. "What's the matter?"

"Just stop it, okay?!" Reggie shouted. "You sound like all the others! Every single one! Everyone I thought was my friend, but it only turned out they wanted to be my friend because of my dad! All anybody ever says to me is how great Danny Drake is! And then when they find out I _can't_ do the things my dad does . . . . and all anyone ever refers to me as is Danny Drake's son! I'm not _just_ Danny Drake's son, you know! I'm not a carbon copy of my dad! I'm my own person! I thought you'd be different, Bert, but it turns out you're just like all the others! If you think my dad's so great, then get _him_ to come play for your team! You obviously need Danny Drake, and _not_ Danny Drake's son!"

And with that, Reggie stormed off the lake, leaving the Raccoons, Cedric, and Schafer a bit stupefied. Bert looked over at the others.

"Shee! What's his problem?" he asked.

"Oh Bert," Melissa sighed.

"I think you hurt Reggie's feelings," Cedric said. "I mean, ever since you found out his dad is Danny Drake, that's all you've been talking to him about."

"Well . . . . what's the big deal?" Bert asked. "I mean, shouldn't he be happy he's got a famous father? What guy in the world wouldn't _love_ to have a sports hero for a dad?"

"Bert, put yourself in Reggie's shoes for a minute," Ralph said. "What if _your_ father was a professional hockey player like Danny Drake?"

"Then that would be the greatest thing in the world!" Bert shouted.

"It may seem that way," Ralph said. "But what if your father's hockey team won almost every game he's played in? And all anyone can talk to you about is how great your father is, and how talented he is, and how they want you to show off your skills, only to find out that you're not as good as your father, and people tell you that they were expecting more from you? And how everyone refers to you as your dad's son?"

"Gee . . . ." Bert said, sheepishly. "I . . . . I never thought of it that way."

"Did you see his reaction when Mrs. Pig gave him that jersey?" Cedric asked. "Number twenty-nine. That's his dad's number. That couldn't have been good for his morale."

"You guys are right," Bert said. "I'm gonna go find Reggie."

"And I'll talk to Mrs. Pig," Cedric said. "I'm sure she'd agree to change the number on Reggie's jersey."

The others nodded, and got back to practicing. Bert went to the Raccoondominium, and up the stairs. The bedroom door was closed so he knocked.

"Reg, you in there?" he asked.

"What do you want, Bert?" Reggie asked, sounding fed up with everything.

"I just want to apologize," Bert said, opening the door. Reggie was laying on the bottom bunk, looking through a comic book. He didn't bother looking up. Bert noticed that his Evergreen Raccoons jersey was laying on the floor, as if he had taken it off and threw it, not caring where it landed.

"I guess I got a little crazy," Bert said. Then he thought it over. "Make that a lot crazy. I didn't realize how you felt about your dad."

"It isn't that, Bert," Reggie said, sitting up. "I don't hate my dad. I just hate being stuck in his shadow, and I hate everyone comparing me to him. It's like they don't even care about me."

"I think I understand why you didn't tell me your dad was Danny Drake. Listen, Reggie, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Cedric's talking to Mrs. Pig, and she's gonna make you a new jersey with a new number. And you want to know something else?"

"What?"

"In that game on Saturday, you're gonna be even better than Danny Drake!"

"Thanks a lot, Bert."

"So we still pals?"

"You got it!"

Reggie and Bert shook on it, and then headed back to the lake for practice.


	7. Practice, Practice, Practice

Two days later, the Evergreen Raccoons were out on the lake, practicing. Only Reggie wasn't wearing the team jersey. Mrs. Pig was still working on it. Cyril, Sophia, and the Pigs were out on the lake, watching them, wearing the team jerseys. Mrs. Pig had made some for them as well. The Pigs were jumping around waving blue and green pom poms in the air, like cheerleaders (and no, they are NOT wearing skirts).

"Go team go! Go team go!" they chanted. "Raccoons, Raccoons! They're our team! If they don't win, we'll kick and scream!"

"Oh brother," Cyril grumbled.

"Hit that puck, let's fight, fight, fight!" the Pigs chanted. "Evergreen is dynamite!"

"I wish I _had_ some dynamite," Cyril said. "Then I could blast the three of you and your stupid cheers into the next county!"

"Hey, I think it's kinda nice we have our own cheering section," Bert said. "Bet your dad never had cheerleaders, Reggie boy!"

"Nope," Reggie said. "I say they keep it up."

"Rah, rah, rah!" the Pigs cheered.

"Don't they know cheerleading is a girls' sport?" Cyril grumbled.

"Actually, Mr. Sneer," Sophia said. "When cheerleading first got started, it was an all male activity."

"Men cheerleading," Cyril grumbled. "I rank that up there with girls playing hockey. It can not be done!"

Melissa happened to hear that. She shot Cyril a glare, and then hit the puck as hard as she possibly could, right in Cyril's direction. It hit him in the face, and got stuck in his mouth. Cyril began screaming as he tried to pull the hockey puck out of his mouth, but it was jammed tightly in there. The others were practically doubled over with laughter, though Cedric, Sophia, and the Pigs were trying, unsuccessfully, to stifle it.

"At least it'll keep him quiet so we can practice," Melissa teased.

"We'll have to call it a day," Reggie said with a shrug. "We can't practice without a puck."

"And I don't think anyone would be willing to touch the puck once Cyril gets it out of his mouth," Ralph said.

"Hmm, Sneer slobber," Bert said, thoughtfully. "Sounds delicious. Eeesh."

Everyone practically howled. Cedric, Sophia, and the Pigs included. They couldn't stifle it any longer. Cyril finally managed to pull the puck out of his mouth and he threw it back on the ice.

"Very funny," he said. "Veerrrry funny! And if I'm missing any teeth, I'll send you Raccoons the dentist bill!"

Finally, the team pulled themselves together, and got back to practicing (after Schafer wiped off the puck, that is). After practice, the group went to the Blue Spruce. Reggie was on the phone with his grandmother.

"Doc's still at the hospital, huh?" he asked. "Well, could you talk to him for me, Nana? Bert, Ralph, Melissa, Schafer, Cedric, and I are playing this hockey game against this gang, and we might need to have a doctor around in case of an injury or something. I know Doc isn't too big on hockey, but he _is_ a great doctor. Okay, thanks, Nana. Love you, bye!"

"Is Dr. Canard on board?" Bert asked.

"Nana has to talk to him first," Reggie said, sitting down at the table. "She can convince Doc to do anything. Usually."

"Well, I hope we don't need him," Schafer said. "But just the same, I'd feel better if we had a doctor on call during the game. In case something should happen."

"Yeah, last time we played a hockey game to save the lake, Bert injured his paw," Ralph said.

The next morning, the Evergreen Raccoons met for practice again. As they were practicing, Adelaide dropped by the lake.

"Reggie!" she called out.

"Hi, Nana!" Reggie shouted, skating over. "Hey, did you talk to Doc like asked you to?"

"Well . . . ." Adelaide said, hesitantly.

"Uh oh, that's not a good sign," Reggie said.

"Isn't Dr. Canard coming to the game?" Cedric asked.

"I'm afraid not," Adelaide sighed. "He's not too happy with you wanting to follow in your father's footsteps, Reggie."

"I'm not surprised," Reggie replied. "I don't think Doc is ever going to accept my career choice, considering it's the same as Dad's!"

"What do you mean, Reg?" Bert asked, as he and the others gathered around.

"Long story," Reggie sighed. "And most of it was before I was even born!"

"Herbie and Danny never got along together," Adelaide explained. "Reggie's mother, Millie, is our only daughter, and our only child. Then one day, this young man from California arrived here in the forest, and Millie took a liking to him. She was fresh out of school then, only seventeen."

"Dad was twenty-one when he and Mom met," Reggie said. "Doc thought it was just gonna be a passing fancy."

"Yes, Herbie thought for sure Danny would break her heart," Adelaide continued. "Well, one thing led to another, and Danny and Millie announced they wanted to get married. Herbie just about hit the roof, especially since Danny told him he wanted to be a hockey player."

"This was all before Dad got famous," Reggie explained. "Actually, he didn't become famous until I was about six or seven."

"So when Herbie wouldn't give his blessings, Danny and Millie took off to California," Adelaide went on. "We didn't hear from them until a year later. Millie and Danny came back to the forest, and we found Millie was nine months pregnant."

"And then I entered the picture," Reggie said. "Daniel Reginald Drake, Junior. Everyone called me Reggie from the beginning, so they didn't get me confused with Dad. Doc loosened up a bit with Dad after I was born, though. When I was five, we moved to California, and one thing led to another, and he got famous on us. Doc wasn't happy about it, I could tell. There was always tension between him and Dad whenever we came up to visit during school vacations, or when Dad had a game up here. Especially during winter vacations when Dad would take me out on the lake and play hockey with me."

"Herbie was never much into hockey," Adelaide said with a sigh. "Especially not after his brother . . . . errrrmmmm . . . . ."

"Great Uncle Herman was a hockey fanatic," Reggie said. "Oh boy, Bert, if you think you're a hockey fan, you have never seen Great Uncle Herman at a hockey game!"

"There was only one time Reggie ever saw Herman in action," Adelaide said. "It was not all fun and games if you remember, Reggie."

"Yeah, I know, I know," Reggie said. "But Great Uncle Herman was a heckler. Oh brother, he was ruthless! He'd yell at the players all the time, usually criticizing the visiting team . . . . he even gave the home team some whammys! I'll never forget that one time Dad was playing up here against the home team."

"That was not a pretty picture," Adelaide sighed. "Herman always rooted for the home team, he never rooted for anyone else. Not even Danny's team."

"Yeah, he really came down hard on Dad that night," Reggie went on.


	8. Flashback

It was at a hockey arena in the city. Reggie, who was ten at the time, was in the stands with Dr. Canard, Adelaide, their daughter Mildred (Millie for short), and Dr. Canard's brother, Herman. Reggie's father, Danny Drake, was out on the ice playing for the Ducks. He had the puck and he was going for the goal.

"Whoo hoo!" Reggie shouted, jumping to his feet. He began to jump up and down. "Go Dad! Go Dad! Go Dad!"

"Come on, get it together, Drake!" Herman shouted. "My grandma can skate better! And she's dead!"

Danny skated for the goal, and slapped the puck in. Half the arena cheered. The other half booed.

"Yeeeeaaaaahhhhh!" Reggie screamed.

"Boooo!" Herman yelled. "Lucky shot, Drake, lucky shot!"

"Settle down, Herman," Dr. Canard said. "You know you're still recovering from bypass surgery. You shouldn't go overboard like this. Besides, you know hockey players get ugly when provoked."

"Heh," Herman said. "Danny Drake can't get any uglier. I'd like to see him try!"

"Uncle Herman, stop it," Millie warned. "What kind of example are you setting for Reggie?"

"Yaaahhhh! The Ducks'll murder you bums!" Reggie yelled at the home team. "Yaaaaahhhhh!"

"Hmph," Herman mumbled, sitting down. "The kid's just enthusiastic. He loves the game. And heckling's part of the fun of it! He's a born hockey heckler! Though, he should show some more loyalty to the home team. He was born in the Evergreen Forest, after all."

"True," Adelaide said. "But his father plays for the visiting team, so who do you think he's going to root for?"

"Eh," Herman mumbled. "Hey, Drake! You skate like Peggy Lemming!"

"Ignore your Great Uncle Herman, dear," Adelaide said to Reggie. "He gets a little carried away at these games."

The game went on. The home team got the puck next but Danny Drake stole it from them, and passed it to Michael Finniganbeginnigan.

"Oh yeah! Oh yeah!" Reggie chanted, at the top of his voice. "In your face, Great Uncle Herman! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!"

"Beginner's luck," Herman replied. "Hey Finniganbeginnigan! I've seen a paralyzed slug move faster than that!"

Dr. Canard, Adelaide, and Millie just sat in their seats and let Reggie and Herman go wild. At one point in the game, the home team's leading center, Jackson Burke, had the puck, but in came Danny, and stole it from him.

"YYYYEEEEESSSSS!" Reggie yelled. "All right, Dad! Yeah! That bonehead Burke is no match for my dad, Danny Drake! Whooo! JACKSON BURKE, YOU SUCK LEMONS!"

"Reginald!" Dr. Canard shouted, appalled at his grandson's choice of words. Reggie ignored him.

"Yaaaahhhh! I've seen more action watching paint dry, Burke!" he yelled. 

Burke had enough of this. He threw his stick down, and went right for the boards.

"All right, you little runt!" he shouted. "Wait'll I get my hands on you!"

"Yike!" Reggie shouted, and he backed into Herman.

"Hey, Burke, what's the matter with you pickin' on a little kid!" he shouted, moving Reggie out of the line of fire. "Pick on someone your own size! Like Danny Drake!"

"Awww, Dad can take Burke easy!" Reggie shouted. "Dad'll knock him into next Tuesday!"

"That does it!" Burke shouted, and he tried to smash through the glass. "This kid's history!"

"Hey!" Danny shouted, skating over. "You touch one hair on my boy, and I'll shove this hockey stick where the sun don't shine!"

"Why I oughta . . . ." Burke shouted, and he gave Danny a swat in the arm with his stick.

The entire crowd was in an uproar by now. Other players on both teams were starting to get into the fight as well.

"_Now_ it's getting interesting!" Herman shouted.

"Cooooolllll!" Reggie shouted. "A hockey fight! Murder those bums, Dad!"

"Daniel Reginald Drake!" Millie yelled.

"Somebody do something before someone gets hurt!" Adelaide shouted.

"I gotta get a closer look at this!" Reggie shouted, and he practically pressed against the glass to catch the action.

"Reginald, get away from there!" Dr. Canard shouted.

"Knock 'em into next Tuesday, Dad!" Reggie shouted.

Luckily the referees broke up the fight and the game went on. Reggie was still taunting at Burke, and cheering for Danny. It was driving Burke crazy.

"JACKSON BURKE SKATES LIKE A GIIIRRRLLLL!" Reggie screamed at the top of his voice.

Burke finally had enough and smashed right through the glass, ready to clobber this kid. Herman jumped in front of his great nephew, and gave Burke a punch in the jaw. And then, all heck broke loose. Herman and Burke were practically clobbering each other, and more fans and the other players began to get into the action as well. Danny staid out of it, and motioned for Millie, Adelaide, and Dr. Canard to come to the glass.

"Take Reggie and get out of here!" he shouted. "I'll try to stop the brawl!"

"What a mess," Dr. Canard said, taking his grandson's hand. "Come on, Reginald. Time to go home."

"Aw, but it's just starting to get good, Doc!" Reggie complained. "This is the most fun I've ever had at one of Dad's games!"

"Daniel Reginald Drake, we are going to have a long and serious talk about this once your father gets home tonight," Millie said.

Danny didn't end up coming back to Dr. Canard's house until really late. And he had a black eye, a bruised cheek, a bandage around his head, and he was walking with a limp.

"Danny, what in the world happened!" Millie shouted.

"Oh, it got ugly," Danny said. "_Real_ ugly. Where's Reggie?"

"In bed," Adelaide answered. "Sleeping. Does it hurt much?"

"Only when I laugh," Danny said. "Ha, ha, ha. Oooh!"

"Where's Herman?" Dr. Canard asked.

"ICU," Danny said, grimly.

"_WHAT!_" Dr. Canard screamed.

"Shhh! You'll wake up Reggie, Dad!" Millie hissed.

"Danny, what happened?" Dr. Canard asked, glaring at his son-in-law.

"Right in the middle of the fight, his heart gave out," Danny said, sitting on the couch. Then he groaned. "Oooh, my aching back! And he was on the bottom of a pile up. I tried to get in there, break up the fight, and get him out, but . . . . well . . . ."

"Oh this is typical, just typical," Dr. Canard grumbled. "You and your hockey, Danny Drake! If you didn't have to be such a hockey lover, this wouldn't have happened!"

"It's not my fault that your brother had to go and make a spectacle of himself in front of Reggie," Danny said. "I've seen Herman at these games, Doc, and he tends to go completely overboard, and I've seen him watch games on TV with Reggie, and Reggie imitates everything he does! And that includes the insults!"

"Don't you go blaming this on Herman, Danny Drake!"

Danny and Dr. Canard began yelling at the tops of their voices. Millie and Adelaide were doing their best to stay out of it. They went upstairs and snuck into Reggie's room. Reggie was wide awake, and he stared at his mother and grandmother.

"Dad and Doc are fighting again," he said.

"We know, sweetie, we know," Millie said, and she pulled Reggie into her arms.

"Is Great Uncle Herman okay?" Reggie asked.

Millie and Adelaide looked at each other. They didn't say a word. Reggie got the drift right away, and he, Millie, and Adelaide were silent. The only thing they could hear was the shouting match downstairs between Danny and Dr. Canard.


	9. The First Period

"And since then, Dad and Doc hardly ever speak to each other," Reggie said with a shrug. "And Doc is convinced hockey is too dangerous."

"That was some story," Ralph replied.

"How awful," Melissa said.

"Well, it didn't have anything to do with the fight," Adelaide said. "Herman had a bad heart, and he just got overexcited once Jackson Burke smashed through the glass."

"I hope nothing like that will happen on Saturday," Sophia said, sounding a little worried.

"Don't worry, Sophia!" Bert shouted. "We're all in top physical condition! We'll all be all right! I'm sure of it! We don't need Dr. Canard to stand by!"

"I hope you're right, Bert," Schafer said.

Friday night, everyone was gathered at the Sneer mansion. This included Ralph's brother George and his wife, Nicole (Lisa and Bentley were visiting their grandmother). Forest wasn't too happy about the upcoming game.

"Why can't I watch Daddy play hockey?" he asked, pouting. "Daddy's the greatest hockey player ever and I wanna see him play!"

"The game's too late, Forest," Cedric explained.

"No fair," Forest said, pouting.

"Something tells me you're going to have your hands full with the kids, big brother," Ralph said.

"Oh, don't worry, Ralph," Nicole said. "George and I have quite a few tricks up our sleeves when dealing with the children."

"Are you playing in the game, too, Gampa?" Forest asked. "Is that why me and Evelyn hafta go to Mr. and Mrs. Raccoon's?"

"I'm not going to be playing," Cyril said. "I'm just going to watch."

"Hey, is your mom done with Reggie's jersey yet?" Bert asked the Pigs.

"She's just finishing it up," Lloyd replied. "Oh, here she comes now."

"Hello, everyone," Mrs. Pig said, coming into the room. "I've finished your jersey, Reggie. I'm sorry about the other one. I had no idea."

"It's okay, Mrs. Pig," Reggie said. "Everybody tends to think because I want to play hockey like my dad, I instantly want to become my dad."

"Well, anyway, I hope you like it," Mrs. Pig said. "Yours is slightly different from the others, though."

Mrs. Pig handed the jersey to Reggie, and he unfolded it. On the back was the number 18, and above it, she had sewn in the word "Reggie." And that was it. No initials. No mention of the word "Drake." Just "Reggie 18," plain and simple.

"Mrs. Pig, you're the best!" Reggie shouted, giving Mrs. Pig a hug.

Saturday night finally arrived. It was time for the game against the Gang of Six, and the Evergreen Raccoons were all nervous about it.

"Any last words?" Slick asked, and the other members of the game laughed.

"We'll see who has the last laugh!" Bert shouted.

Ralph and Slick met face to face for the face off. The referee tossed down the puck, and then got out of the line of fire. Ralph shot forward with it, weaving around the gang, and passed it to Melissa. Melissa passed the puck to Reggie, and Reggie passed it over to Cedric. Cedric skated around a little, and whacked the puck into the goal. Brucie didn't even see it coming.

"Yaaaayyyy team!" Boyd shouted, waving his pom poms in the air. One of them hit Cyril in the face.

"Watch where you're swinging that thing!" he shouted, shoving it back.

The next face off came. The Gang of Six got the puck this time, but Ralph came and stole it away from Winks.

"Yay, Ralph!" Sophia cheered.

"Ralph Raccoon, he's our man! If he can't do it, no one can!" the Pigs cheered.

"Where do they learn these cheers?" Cyril asked Mrs. Pig.

"Oh, they used to go watch their old school team play football," Mrs. Pig answered. "I always thought they enjoyed the sport, but now I'm not so sure . . . ."

Ralph was about to pass the puck when Punk came skating by, and body checked Ralph into the wall as hard as he could. He took the puck, passed it to Prickles, and Prickles sent it flying through the goal. Unfortunately, Schafer missed it.

"Boooooo!" the Pigs shouted.

"Hey, you overgrown pincushion!" Floyd yelled. "You skate like a girl!"

"I _am_ a girl, Bacon Bits!" Prickles shouted, skating over to the boards.

"Oh yeah," Floyd said. "Sorry. Hee hee!"

"I never understood how people get so carried away at a hockey game," a voice said, sitting down next to Cyril. It turned out to be Dr. Canard.

"I thought you weren't coming," Cyril said.

"Changed my mind," Dr. Canard said. "Besides, I figured someone had to be here in case these kids got hurt."

At the start of the next face off, Ralph had the puck and he shot it to Cedric. Cedric twisted around the Gang of Six, and then turned right around and took the puck all the way back to Schafer.

"Hey Four Eyes!" Winks shouted. "Put some glass in those glasses! You're going towards your own goal!"

Cedric said nothing, and shot the puck towards Reggie. He and Bert then got into the position for the Zig Zagging Turbine Twist Slap Shot, and started it up.

"Go Bert! Go Reggie! Go Bert! Go Reggie!" the Pigs shouted, swinging their arms in somewhat of a circle in front of them.

"Show a little dignity you overgrown ham hocks!" Cyril shouted.

"Oh dear lord, he's going to do the Turbine Twist," Dr. Canard said.

"Better duck, Sophia," Cyril commented.

Bert and Reggie began zig zagging back and forth between the players. Reggie was about to pass the puck to Bert for the slap shot, but Punk, Buzz, and Prickles were blocking him off. Reggie was stuck with the puck.

"Reggie, you're gonna have to shoot it!" Ralph shouted.

"I'm not close enough!" Reggie called back. "Besides, I can't do the slap shot!"

"Reg! Hit it before they steal it!" Bert warned.

Reggie groaned, and wound up for the slap shot. He hit it, and the puck hit the side of the net, bounced off the boards, and sailed into the stands.

"Ow! My eye!" an innocent bystander shouted as the puck hit him in the face.

Unfortunately, Reggie wasn't about to get off lightly, either. He had swung to hard and ended up falling to the ice due to the force of his follow through. WHAM!

"Aaggghhh!" he yelled, as he landed right on his right arm, and an intense pain shot through it.

The buzzer went off just then, signaling the end of the first period, which the Evergreen Raccoons were thankful for. They skated out to Reggie and helped him up. Then they went over to the boards.

"Dr. Canard, I thought you weren't coming," Ralph said.

"I had a feeling you would need me," Dr. Canard said, and he took hold of Reggie's wrist. "Let me have a look here."

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" Reggie shouted.

"Well, that's not a good sign, Reginald," Dr. Canard said, continuing his examination. "Hmm. Well, I'd say you've sprained your wrist pretty badly here. I'm afraid you're out of the game, Reginald."

"Awww, but, Doc!" Reggie shouted.

"No buts, Reginald," Dr. Canard said. "You can't possibly play with a sprained wrist."

"I'm getting a weird sense of deja vu," Ralph said. "Only the last time, it was Bert that got injured."

"Well, now what do we do?" Melissa asked.

"As they say in the theater," Bert said. "The show must go on! We've still got Cedric, and two periods to go."

"Looks like we don't have any other choice," Ralph said.

"Be careful out there," Sophia said.

"Don't worry, Sophia," Cedric said. "We'll be fine. I hope."


	10. The Second Period

The second period started, Ralph passed the puck to Melissa who took it forward, and then shot it to Cedric. Cedric slap shot it into the goal. The Pigs went wild, waving their pom poms in the air.

"Hooray!" they shouted. "Two, four, six, eight! Who do we appreciate! Cedric! Cedric! Yaaayyyy, Cedric! Yaaayyy!"

"You porkers are starting to get on my nerves," Cyril grumbled.

During the next part of the face off, Slick got the puck, and barrelled right though the Raccoons. He shot it right into the goal.

"He shoots, he scores!" Slick shouted.

"Booooo!" the Pigs yelled.

"You couldn't skate your way out of a paper bag!" Reggie taunted.

"Reginald . . . ." Dr. Canard said, in a warning tone of voice.

Ralph took the puck and shot throught the middle of the ice. Then he passed it to Melissa. She was about to shoot it into the goal when Prickles and Winks came in, and smashed into her as hard as they could.

"Oof!" Melissa shouted.

"Sorry," Winks said, not really meaning it, and she took the puck. 

Winks was just about to smash it into the goal, but Schafer gave it a whack back with his stick. Bert was on it, and he skated towards the middle, passing it to Cedric. Cedric passed it back to Bert, and Bert gave it a good swat with his stick, as hard as he possibly could. The puck sailed into the air, and flew towards the stands.

"Duck!" Cyril yelled, as he grabbed Sophia's shoulders, and pulled her down as he ducked down to avoid getting hit with the airborne puck. Dr. Canard and the Pigs ducked down, too.

"Huh?" Reggie asked, and the puck hit him in the head. BONK!

"Oh," he said, dazedly, and then fell backwards to the floor.

"Whoops," Bert said, sheepishly. "Uhh, sorry about that, Reg!"

"Reggie, are you all right?" Sophia asked.

"One little, two little, three little hockey pucks!" Reggie sang.

"He's all right," Dr. Canard replied.

"How can you tell?" Cyril asked.

"Trust me," Dr. Canard replied, examining Reggie's head.

The game went on, and the score was five to four, in favor of the Gang of Six. The Pigs began another cheer.

"Take a stick, whack 'em in the head!" they yelled. "Otherwise, you'll end up dead!"

"You three are gonna end up dead if you don't knock it off!" Cyril shouted.

Ralph shot the puck into the net, and the buzzer went off, indicating the end of the second period. All the players skated into the stands to take a breather.

"Boy, this game is tiring," Cedric replied, sitting down.

"Yeah, but you guys are doing pretty well," Reggie commented.

"How's your head, Reg?" Bert asked.

"Okay," Reggie replied. "Good thing you didn't hit that thing harder than you did!"

"Well, the next period's going to start any second," Cedric said, getting up. "We'd better get back out there and get ready."

"Yeah, one more period to go," Bert said. "Let's go gang!"

Bert raced out onto the ice, but he wasn't paying attention to where he was going, and he ended up tripping, and tumbling right into Cedric. The two of them then crashed onto the ice, and hit the boards at the opposite end of the rink.

"Ouch!" Cedric shouted.

"Oooh, anybody get the license number of that truck?" Bert asked, dazedly.

"Cedric!" Cyril shouted. "Speak to me, son!"

"Oooh, don't worry, Pop," Cedric said, trying to get up. "I think I'm . . . . aaaahhhh!"

"Cedric, are you all right?" Sophia asked.

"I don't think so," Cedric said. "I think I broke my leg!"

"Oh no!" Ralph groaned. "Now we're really up a creek!"

"You miserable little raccoon!" Cyril shouted at Bert. "Wait'll I get my hands on you!"

"What can we do?" Melissa asked. "We can't play with only four players, and we can't possibly find someone to take Cedric's place, and we were short handed to begin with!"

"Don't look at us!" Lloyd shouted. "We've never been on ice skates in our lives!"

"Well, I've never actually played hockey," Sophia said, picking up a stick. "But I'll try anything once."

"Absolutely not!" Cyril yelled, yanking the stick right out of Sophia's hands. "I will not allow it! You can't play hockey! You're a girl!"

"What do you think _I_ am, you blockhead!" Melissa shouted, getting a little ticked with Cyril and his macho ideas.

"I think I agree with Cyril on this one," Schafer said. "Sophia, you don't know anything about hockey, and you could get hurt."

"But you need at least one more player," Sophia said.

"Don't look at me," Dr. Canard said. "All I know about hockey is that it's a good way to get killed."

"I guess I could try and play," Cedric said. "I mean, I don't think my leg's broken that badly . . . . . ooooohhh!"

"Forget it, Cedric," Reggie said. "I'll play."

"Absolutely not!" Dr. Canard shouted. "You've already hurt yourself, Reginald. You go back out there, you're liable to get killed!"

"Oh good grief, Doc!" Reggie shouted.

"Enough arguing!" Cyril said, and he grabbed Cedric's helmet right off his head, and put it on. "I'll do it."

"Are you sure, Cyril?" Ralph asked.

"Yeah, what do you know about hockey?" Bert asked.

"Are you kidding?" Cyril said, waving the stick around. "I practically wrote the book about hockey! Just wait until you see me on the ice out there! I'll hit a home run!"

"That's baseball, Cyril," Ralph said.

"Just a little joke there," Cyril said. "Making sure you're all on your toes. Pigs, make a note of that. I want this raccoon on my board committee. He's a sharp one. Now, let's get out there and score a touchdown!"

The group looked at each other, but they didn't say a word. It was obvious to them that Cyril had no idea what he was doing, but they didn't have a choice.


	11. The Third Period

The third period started, and Ralph passed the puck to Melissa. She skated forward, and passed it to Bert. He tried to shoot it into the goal, but Brucie blocked the shot, and Punk took off with the puck. Melissa circled around him, stole the puck, and passed it to Cyril. Cyril just stood there for a moment.

"What am I supposed to do with this thing?" he asked.

"Try to get it in the net, Mr. Sneer!" Reggie called.

"One, two, three, y'all hear! You watch out for Cyril Sneer!" the Pigs cheered, waving their pom poms.

"One, two, three, y'all hear?" Bert repeated.

"Get the puck in the net," Cyril said. "Got it!"

Cyril threw down his stick, picked up the puck, and hurled it across the ice towards the Gang of Six's goal. It hit Brucie in the face, and he stumbled backwards into the net.

"Ooof!" he shouted.

"Good thing you're wearing a hockey mask," Buzz commented.

"Hole in one!" Cyril shouted, and the referee blew the whistle.

"Penalty!" he shouted.

"What!" Cyril yelled. "What do you mean penalty! I got it in the net, didn't I!"

"Cyril, you're not supposed to use your hands," Ralph said. "You're supposed to use the stick."

"I thought the stick was for hitting the players upside the head with," Cyril said.

"Hoo boy," Bert groaned.

The third period was starting to look like a comedy sketch just then. Cyril had the puck, and he started skating with it, using the stick this time. As he was skating with it, Slick skated by and stole it right out from under his nose.

"What the . . . ." he started. "Why you! Nobody steals from Cyril Sneer!"

Cyril dropped his stick and tackled Slick to the ground. Then he picked up the puck and held it in the air. The referee blew his whistle again.

"What now?" Cyril said.

"You can't tackle in hockey, Cyril!" Bert groaned. "I thought you said you practically wrote the book on hockey!"

"Hmph," Cyril grumbled, getting up. "Some joker obviously changed the rules since the last time I played!"

"When was that?" Bert asked. "Nineteen-oh-six?"

Cyril stifled the urge to hit Bert in the head with his hockey stick, and the game went on. The Raccoons figured if they kept the puck away from Cyril, they'd have a shot at winning. The ploy worked for awhile, though Cyril was getting a little ticked off that they weren't passing him the puck! Finally, he managed to get it, and he started skating for the goal. Unfortunately, Winks skated past him, and sent him spinning in circles. Cyril was thrown off balance for a moment or so.

"Watch where you're skating, you crazy dame!" he yelled. Much to his surprise, Winks hadn't stolen the puck. Cyril continued skating for the goal, but unfortunately, he was going the wrong way.

"Pop! Turn around! Turn around!" Cedric yelled, waving his arms, frantically.

"Mr. Sneer, you're going the wrong way!" Sophia shouted.

Cyril couldn't hear them. He just continued skating, until he smashed the puck right into the goal. The buzzer sounded, and Cyril threw his stick to the ice in triumph.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" he laughed. "I scored! I scored!"

"Yeah, for the other team!" Bert yelled.

"What in blue blazes are you talking about!" Cyril shouted. Then he got a look at the goalie, and saw it was Schafer.

"Well . . . ." Cyril said with a shrug.

"Look, the score's tied," Ralph said. "We're in sudden death. The next point wins. Let's just get out there, and do it."

"Right!" the others shouted. 

The whistle blew, and the game started up again. Bert had the puck and he was heading for the goal. Cyril was just standing there. He took off his helmet for a moment.

"I'm getting too old for this sort of thing," he mumbled, wiping sweat off his forehead.

Bert smacked the puck and it went flying. It beaned Cyril right in the head, and he stumbled backwards.

"Ooooh!" he shouted. Then he slipped and crashed onto the ice, head first. WHAM!

"Pop!" Cedric yelled.

"Oh no!" Sophia moaned.

"Yikes!" Bert shouted.

"Pop! Pop, are you all right?" Cedric called. "Speak to me!"

"Auntie Em, is that you?" Cyril asked, dazedly. Ralph, Bert, Melissa, and Schafer skated over to him. Ralph held up three fingers.

"How many fingers am I holding up, Cyril?" he asked.

Cyril looked at Ralph, and counted his fingers. Then he started counting his own fingers.

"Eleventy six!" he shouted, and then he fell to the ice once more.

"Cyril?" Melissa asked. "Cyril! No use, he's out cold!"

"Well, I guess that's that," Slick said. "You guys will have to forfeit, and that makes this lake ours."

"Don't bet on it, sucker!" Reggie shouted, and he skated out onto the ice. He was wearing his helmet and carrying his stick. "I'll play!"

"But Reggie, what about your wrist?" Ralph asked.

"Bert told me all about that game against Mr. Sneer's bears," Reggie said. "He had a bum wrist and he scored the winning goal!"

"Daniel Reginald Drake, I forbid you to play in this game!" Dr. Canard shouted. "If you do, I'll . . . . . I'll disown you!"

"Forget it, Doc," Reggie said. "I'm helping my friends, and there's nothing you can do or say that'll stop me!"

"I don't know, Reggie," Ralph said.

"Look, do you guys want to be kicked off the lake?" Reggie asked. "Come on, if Bert can play with an injured wrist, then so can I!"

"Come on, you guys," Bert said. "Reggie's right! Let's get out there and play hockey!"

The others glanced at each other. Then they skated out onto the lake for the face off.

"Go Raccoons go! Go Raccoons go!" Cedric, Sophia, and the Pigs shouted at once.

The referee threw the puck down. Ralph hit it with his stick and skated off, passing it to Melissa. Melissa hit it to Bert, and he started for the goal. The Gang of Six (minus Brucie) started to gang up on him. Reggie skated in, caught the puck with his stick, and skated for the goal, on a breakaway. Slick skated up behind him, tripped him with the stick, and he landed flat on his stomach on the ice. Brucie saved the shot before it could go into the net. The buzzer went off, and time was out.

"Game over?" Bert asked. "It ends in a tie?"

"Not quite," the referee said, coming over. "Drake, you get a penalty shot since you were pulled down on a breakaway. Just you and the goalie."

"Come on, Reggie boy, you can do it!" Bert shouted. "We're all rooting for you!"

Reggie gulped. He skated forward with the puck, and Brucie prepared to catch it. Reggie bit his lower bill, skated forward, and smacked the puck as hard as he could into the net. It sailed straight for it. Brucie tried to reach up and grab it, but it was moving too fast, and he missed it by a couple inches.

"He scores!" the referee shouted. "The Evergreen Raccoons win!"

"Wahoo!" Bert shouted. "We won! We won! We won!"

"Rah, rah, rah!" the Pigs shouted, waving their pom poms around. "Rah, rah, rah!"

"Oooh," Cyril groaned, finally coming to his senses. "What happened?"

"We won, Pop!" Cedric shouted.

"Great playing, Reggie!" Ralph shouted. "Danny Drake couldn't have done any better!"

"Come on, everyone," Schafer said. "Let's all go to the Blue Spruce and celebrate!"

"Now you're talkin'!" Bert shouted. "The peanut butter soda's on me!"

The Raccoons and the Pigs lifted Reggie off the ice, and carried him off the lake, like he was a big sports hero. Reggie took a glance at the stands and saw Dr. Canard standing there, giving him a disapproving look. Then he turned around and walked away. Reggie watched him go, and he suddenly no longer felt like celebrating victory.


	12. Getting Together

"For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good felllooooowwww, which nobody can denyyyyyyyy!" Bert warbled off key, right into Reggie's ear.

"Thanks Bert, I think I just went deaf!" Reggie shouted.

Everyone else laughed. Bert gave them all dirty looks. Everyone was at the Blue Spruce Cafe, celebrating the Evergreen Raccoons' victory over root beer. Well, make that eleven root beers and one peanut butter soda. 

"I'd like to take this opportunity to make a toast!" Bert shouted, raising his mug of peanut butter soda. "To Reggie Drake!"

"Let's give a cheer to Reggie Drake! Thanks to him, we saved our lake! Wheee!" the Pigs cheered, waving their pom poms around.

"One more cheer out of the three of you, and I'm sending you to a football factory!" Cyril shouted.

"Yikes!" the Pigs shouted and ducked underneath the table.

"I didn't really save it," Reggie said. "I mean, that Gang of Six was just trying to claim it."

"Yeah, but you scored the winning goal," Bert went on. "And all without having to do the Turbine Twist! So here's to Reggie Drake! The saver of Evergreen Lake!"

"Bert, that is so corny," Melissa said. Then she raised her root beer mug. "But I'll drink to it, anyway."

"Here, here!" Ralph agreed, raising his own mug.

"Count me in," Cedric replied, raising his mug.

"Cheers!" Lloyd shouted.

"Please don't," Cyril grumbled.

"Here's to the Pound Sterling," Boyd said, raising his mug. Everyone stared at him as if he were nuts.

"Uhhh, never mind," Boyd said, sheepishly lowering his mug.

The others rolled their eyes, and clinked their mugs together. Reggie wasn't paying that much attention. As a matter of fact, he seemed kind of down.

"What's the matter, Reggie?" Ralph asked. "Aren't you happy we won the game?"

"Oh sure," Reggie said, nodding. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm really glad we won, but . . . . well . . . . I don't know, how would you feel if your grandfather was going to disown you?"

"Oh," Ralph said, remembering what Dr. Canard had said to Reggie during the last few minutes of the game. Everyone got quiet all of a sudden.

"You know, I think he was just bluffing," Lloyd said. "The boss is always telling Cedric he's going to disown him one of these days!"

"That's true," Floyd said. "He's referred to him as his ex-son more times than I can count!"

"Oh Mr. Sneer, really!" Mrs. Pig shouted, shaking her head.

"Schafer, how about some triple peanut butter sandwiches?" Cyril asked. "With extra peanut butter."

"I thought you didn't like peanut butter, Pop," Cedric said.

"They're not for me," Cyril replied. "They're for these bacon blabbermouths! Maybe it'll shut them up for once!"

The Pigs sank lower in their seats. Nobody had much to say after that.

The next day, the Raccoons and their friends were out on Evergreen Lake. Melissa and the boys were passing around a hockey puck while Sophia was swan gliding. As they were skating, who should come up to them but the Gang of Six?

"Uh oh," Cedric said.

"What do _they_ want?" Bert asked, glaring at the gang. Slick walked out onto the lake and faced the Raccoons and their friends.

"Hey, listen," he said. "We just wanted to say . . . . you know, nice game."

"Yeh, you guys play pretty good," Brucie replied.

"And I'm sorry I called your old man a hack," Slick said to Reggie.

"Forget about it," Reggie said, smiling.

"Well, I guess that's it, then," Slick replied. "C'mon guys. Let's go find another place to skate."

"Why?" Ralph asked. "We agreed the winning team of the game got to choose who skates on the lake and who doesn't. And since Reggie scored the winning goal, I think he should make that decision. What do you guys think?"

"Right on, Ralphie boy!" Bert shouted.

"You said it," Melissa replied. "Well, Reggie, what's your decision?"

"It's a big lake," Reggie replied. "Plenty of room to go around. Come on, you guys. Hang around."

"Hey, all right!" Buzz shouted, as he and the rest of the Gang of Six went out onto the lake.

"You want to know somethin', Raccoon?" Slick asked Bert. "You and your friends are okay."

"So are you and your friends, Slick," Bert said, and he and Slick shook on it. It looked like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

The next day, Bert found Reggie packing his duffel bag. He was leaving for California the following morning.

"I can't believe this week is over already," Bert sighed.

"Yeah, I know," Reggie replied.

"Believe me, this wasn't the sort of thing I had in mind, Reg. I didn't plan on a hockey game."

"And I didn't plan on a fight with my grandfather."

"Have you tried talking to him?"

"I keep calling, but Nana says he doesn't want to talk to me. He just doesn't understand that hockey is my life."

"Does he even know you're leaving tomorrow?"

"I told Nana, and Nana said she'd tell Doc, but I doubt he's gonna come out and see me off."

"I'm really sorry, Reggie."

"S'okay, Bert. I'm kind of used to it. Doc's always acted this way since I was ten. He and Great Uncle Herman were pretty close. In any case, Bert, I'd kind of like to be alone right now, if that's okay with you. I'll see you and the others later tonight at the Blue Spruce for dinner."

Bert nodded. It was about all he could do. He left the room, shut the door, and went downstairs. Ralph and Melissa were sitting at the kitchen table, going through the mail.

"Did you talk to Reggie?" Ralph asked.

"He says he keeps trying to call Dr. Canard, but Mrs. Canard keeps telling him Dr. Canard doesn't want to talk to him," Bert said with a shrug. "And Dr. Canard knows Reggie's going back to Los Angeles tomorrow."

"I hate the idea of Reggie leaving without making up with Dr. Canard," Melissa said.

"But what can we do about it?" Ralph asked. Then he sighed, and stood up. "Well, we'd better get down to the Standard. You coming, Bert?"

"Nah, I think I'll stay here," Bert said.

"Okay, then," Ralph said. "See you later."

Ralph and Melissa left. Bert got up and started to make himself a peanut butter sandwich. He agreed with Melissa over the situation with Reggie and Dr. Canard, but the problem was he couldn't think of what to do about it. Suddenly, he got an idea, and raced for the phone.

"This'll get the doc over here in a hurry," he said, as he dialed. "Good thing Ralph and Melissa aren't here. They'd never understand. Hello? Mrs. Canard? This is Bert Raccoon. Is your husband there? Could you put him on? Yes, it's about Reggie. Could you tell him it's an emergency?"

Bert waited until Dr. Canard got on the phone.

"Listen, Dr. Canard, I know there's tension between you and Reggie right now, but you've got to come over right away!" he shouted. "It's an emergency! What kind of emergency? Oh . . . well . . . . errrm . . . ."

Up until then, Bert hadn't really thought of a ruse to get Dr. Canard over there. Then he remembered about Reggie's asthma.

"He's having a really bad asthma attack!" he shouted. "Oh yeah, he can't breathe! His inhaler? Well, ahhh, we tried it, but it's not helping. You gotta come over here right away! I don't know what to do! Okay, great! See you soon!"

Bert hung up the phone, and smiled at his handiwork. He was going to patch things up between Reggie and Dr. Canard if it was the last thing he did. And it probably would be the last thing he did once both Reggie and Dr. Canard found out about Bert's little joke.

Five minutes later, the sound of sirens filled the air. Bert ran to the window and looked. There was Dr. Canard followed by an ambulance. Bert got a nervous look on his face. He wasn't expecting this. He opened the door, and Dr. Canard raced in followed by two paramedics.

"When did this start, Bert?" Dr. Canard asked.

"Uhh . . . well . . . ." Bert said.

"Never mind, never mind," Dr. Canard said. "Where's Reginald now?"

"Hey, Bert!" Reggie called, coming down the stairs. "What the heck's going on down here? I heard sirens, and I looked out the window, and there's an ambulance parked out in front here and . . . ."

"Reginald!" Dr. Canard shouted. "Reginald, are you all right? Where's your inhaler? I need to check it if it's not helping you. But that can wait until we get to the hospital."

"Doc, what the heck are you talking about?"

"Bert called and said you were having a bad asthma attack and you couldn't breathe!"

"What?!"

Reggie turned towards Bert and gave him a Look. Bert laughed sheepishly. Dr. Canard didn't look amused, either. And they weren't the only ones who didn't look happy at this. Ralph and Melissa had just come home and they were standing in the doorway.

"What's going on here?" Ralph asked.

"Bert called Doc and told him I was having an asthma attack," Reggie said. "Which wasn't true."

"Nearly gave me a heart attack," Dr. Canard said. "Someone should tell him about the boy who cried wolf."

"Oh honestly, Bert!" Melissa shouted. "How could you even joke about something that serious?!"

"I'm sorry," Bert said. "But I had to get Dr. Canard over here somehow, and I figured the only way to do it was to tell him Reggie was having an asthma attack. But now that the two of you are here, why don't the two of you make up?"

"Bert!" Ralph groaned.

"No, it's okay, Ralph," Reggie said. "Doc, I think you and I could use a talk."

"Yes, I agree," Dr. Canard said. Then he turned to the Raccoons. "If you three will excuse us . . . . ."

And with that, Reggie and Dr. Canard left the Raccoondominium. Bert was about to follow, but Ralph pulled him away from the door by the back of his sweater.

"Oh no you don't," he said.

"Aw, gee, Ralph!" Bert shouted. "I just want to . . . ."

"No!" both Ralph and Melissa shouted in unison.

"Come on, Bert," Melissa said. "I'll make you some peanut butter tea."

Bert grumbled a little, and followed Melissa into the kitchen. Who was he to refuse anything peanut butter related?


	13. Reggie Leaves

Dr. Canard and Reggie walked out to the lake and stopped there. They both stared out at it, in silence. Reggie finally took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.

"Level with me, Doc," he said. "You don't like Dad, you never have liked Dad, and you probably never will like Dad, right?"

"Well, Reginald," Dr. Canard said. "I don't quite know what to say about that. I guess I'm mostly disappointed in your mother, under the circumstances, and I just take it out on your father, because it's easier than getting mad at Millie."

"What's Mom got to do with all this?"

"Well, Reginald, there's something your parents, your grandmother, and I have been meaning to talk to you about, but we kept putting it off. We weren't sure how you were going to take it. But now that you're an adult, I might as well tell you."

Dr. Canard took a deep breath, took off his bifocals, and rubbed his eyes for a moment.

"There's no gentle way of putting this," he sighed. "So I might as well just say it. Reginald, you were conceived before your parents got married."

Reggie just stared at his grandfather. He wasn't quite sure what to make of this.

"See, your parents were both very young," Dr. Canard continued. "They met, they were practically joined at the hip, one thing led to another, and boom! Shotgun wedding."

"But I thought you and Nana told me . . . ." Reggie started.

"I know, I know," Dr. Canard interrupted. "I was just using that old expression. No, really, what happened was I didn't even find out about the pregnancy until after your parents went and eloped. They first came over to our house and told us they wanted to get married, but I would not allow it. I didn't want my seventeen-year-old daughter to marry some twenty-one-year-old hockey-crazed maniac!"

"Doc . . . ."

"Sorry, Reginald, I got a little carried away there. After I said no, they ran off and got married. They called right after their ceremony, and I just chewed them out. I really gave it to them when Millie told me she was pregnant. At least your father was taking responsibility for this, that's all I can say."

"Yeah, Mom and Dad have been married for twenty-two years or so."

"Anyway, your mother was really excited about going to college. She wanted to become a doctor, and she meant it. But then along came Danny, and then along came you, and . . . . well, your mother is a very proud woman, Reginald. She refused to ask for help from us. Though we would have given it to her. You know how my feelings were towards your father, but that didn't matter. Your mother gave up her college scholarship to become a full time mom while Danny went off and became a professional hockey player. Then your mother and I got to talking about three years ago, just as you were going to graduate high school, and I talked her into talking you into going to medical school. Of course, she thought it was a good idea. If she couldn't be a doctor, then she wanted you to be one."

"I think I'm beginning to see the problem here. Both you and Mom want me to be a doctor, but I don't. I want to play hockey."

"I wanted so badly to have someone take over my practice after I'm gone. But forcing you to do something you don't want to do . . . . that's just not right. And I'm sorry. Sometimes, it's just easier to get angry."

"I think I know what you mean, Doc."

Dr. Canard nodded, and he and Reggie headed back for home.

The next morning, the entire gang was at the train station to see Reggie off. This included Dr. Canard and Adelaide.

"So what are you gonna do when you get back to LA, Reg?" Bert asked.

"Write you a letter," Reggie replied. "Then, I'll probably look into the courses at UCLA for the spring semester that I'll need to take."

"Since when do you need a college degree to play hockey?" Cyril asked.

"Well, I decided something yesterday," Reggie said. "I'm going to go and get my medical degree, just so I'll have something to fall back on, in case this hockey thing doesn't work out."

"It's nice to have a back up plan," Cedric replied.

"You said it," Dr. Canard replied. "I'm proud of you, Reginald."

"Thanks, Doc," Reggie said. "And I'll talk to Dad about that window, Mr. Sneer, though I know what he'll say."

"What's that?" Cyril asked.

"It's been ten years since that happened. Drop it!"

The whistle blew, and Reggie climbed aboard the train before it could pull out without him. Then he leaned out the window and waved to everybody.

"Oh yeah, one more thing, Bert!" he called out.

"What's that?" Bert asked.

Reggie opened his duffel bag and tossed something black out of it. It hit the platform, and the train disappeared. Bert ran over, and picked it up. It was a Mighty Ducks hockey puck. Written on it was "To Bert, from Danny Drake."

"Woweee!" Bert shouted. "An autographed hockey puck from Danny Drake! Gee, he didn't have to do that. Especially since I made such a big deal over him being Danny Drake's son and all, and not really giving him any credit in his own abilities."

"Maybe this is his way of telling you you're forgiven," Ralph said.

"Yeah," Bert said. Then he smiled. "I know exactly what I'm gonna do now!"

"What's that?" Cedric asked.

"I'm gonna write Reggie a letter and I'm gonna get him to get me another autographed hockey puck! But this time, not from Danny Drake."

"Who are you gonna ask Reggie to sign it for you, Bert?"

"The best hockey player I know! The greatest hockey player in the world! The one, the only . . . . ."

"I don't think Reggie's dad can get you Wayne Grizzly's autograph, Bert," Ralph pointed out.

"Who's talking about Wayne Grizzly?" Bert said. "I want Reggie Drake's autograph! After all, he's the best hockey player I know!"

And with that, Bert ran off to the Raccoondominium to start his letter.

The End


End file.
